London introduced a similar measure during the 2012 Olympics with 80 percent of businesses in the city participating, according to Japan’s Internal Affairs Ministry, which announced the plan on Tuesday.

Greater Tokyo, with a population of more than 30 million people about a quarter of Japan’s total is notorious for its packed trains and subways during peak morning rush hours.

The plan is part of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s efforts to rethink Japan’s workaholic tradition, where men routinely spend long hours in the office and little time with their families.